


Signs of the Times

by KuriKoer



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Lovers, M/M, apparent death i guess, canon character death, friends - Freeform, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 06:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5486993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKoer/pseuds/KuriKoer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is lost, and then found. Prompts based on "the signs as feelings"</p>
<p>http://xanthewalter.tumblr.com/post/135534243551/the-signs-as-three-feelings</p>
            </blockquote>





	Signs of the Times

[Sagittarius: staring at the sky and forgetting where you are. the stomach-lurch after you grab someone's hand for the first time. knowing that you're kissing someone for the last time. ]

 

Staring at the sky and forgetting where you are.

The Winter Soldier looks up at the brilliant, silent sky, a million stars you can only see away from the city. He has no concept of the city. He has no concept of the empty fields around him. He only knows that he's here, and the stars are overhead. He waits, and the endlessness and lack of ceiling above him are a world unto its own.

That sick feeling, like the world dropped from under his feet and is hurtling through space away from him. His fingers twist painfully around flesh and bone, and the bone creaks under his grasp. The blond man - _I know him_ \- looks at him with a wide blue stare, wild and confused and hurt but not feeling his wrist nearly shatter. The soldier feels like the world will disappear forever if he lets go.

A memory - a train. He can hear it, it's just around the bend, and he's standing in frozen mountains but the cold is not the same hostile ice he's been in since then. It's just cold. And Steve's nose is cold but his lips are warm and touching Bucky's briefly, like he doesn't care the others are watching, snickering. A pat on his back and a gruff but fond voice telling him there'll be time for all that lovey stuff later. And then the freezing air fast in his face as he glides down to the train.

[Cancer: breakfast at 2am. standing in the ocean on a chilly day. throwing a punch that you've imagined for years. ]

Steve sees the dark figure in the corner at the same time he's hitting the light switch, and he has a moment where he jolts and the sense of danger floods his system. Then it's ebbing because it's only Bucky, only Bucky having trouble sleeping again, which Sam said would take a while, and even if he hadn't, Steve knew how hard, how elusive a good night's sleep can be. Case in point: it's 2 AM and he's making himself breakfast.

"I'm making eggs and reheating blueberry muffins," he says. "Want some?"

Bucky nods, eyes hooded and dark. Steve wonders if he got any sleep at all tonight. Steve wonders if he got any sleep at all this week. He starts cutting and squeezing oranges, and Bucky gets up stiffly and joins him at the counter, stirring the eggs to his liking. It still makes Steve smile; he's not sure if Bucky knows, remembers the long arguments they'd had over the years about the perfect way of making eggs. Steve's in the habit of leaving them alone. Bucky used to lecture him about the delicate art of breakfast foods.

"I want to go to the beach," Bucky says and it surprises Steve for a long moment before he gathers himself and nods. "I want to put my feet in the ocean," Bucky says and stirs the eggs again.

"We can do that," Steve says weakly. He thinks of something. "It's December."

"It's warm for December," Bucky dismisses his insinuation.

"Still cold."

Bucky gives him a brilliant smile. "Won't kill me," he says.

Steve bites his lip. "Leave the eggs alone."

"Put the muffins in the oven," Bucky retorts, ignoring him, stirring the eggs again, probably out of spite. Steve takes six muffins and starts the oven and plans a day trip to the beach.

 

["throwing a punch that you've imagined for years" groan i thought this would be easy with steve but not easy because steeeve]

 

The punch comes out of nowhere and Steve falls on his ass in the shallows, mouth open in surprise. He's wet to his underwear and must look a sight because Bucky's laughing. Steve's sputtering and Bucky's laughing harder, bending in half to lean on his knees and laugh so hard tears run down his face. Steve thinks to kick his legs from under him, payback's due, but he refrains.

"What the..."

Bucky takes a few deep breaths and straightens and starts yelling. People are looking.

"Not two days I'm gone and you take a plane into the fucking arctic? Are you kidding me, Rogers? A suicide mission?"

"It wasn't a suicide mission," Steve protests and stands up. Wind chill freezes his balls immediately and he fidgets uncomfortably, but it's only because of the weather. "I had no choice. Not like I planned it and besides," he glares, "you're not one to talk."

"I'm the best one to talk," Bucky says and kicks some water at him. Then he narrows his eyes. "Don't ever fucking do it again."

Steve sighs. "I can't really promise you that," he says with real regret, which changes in a heartbeat to sputtering disbelief as Bucky swipes his feet from under him, landing him in cold salt water again. This time he retaliates.

They're both soaked to the bone and Bucky's hair is dripping on everything when they call up Sam to pick them up, warning him to cover the back seat with towels. Before they enter the car Bucky darts forward and they share a kiss, salty and cold like the ocean.

"Been wanting to do that for a while," Bucky mutters.

Steve glows at him. "The kiss?"

"The punch," Bucky says, and slides into the back seat without a backward glance.


End file.
